Polymerized 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene is a thermoplastic fluoropolymer which has demonstrated unique physical and chemical properties. These include high transparency, low surface energy, improved adhesion to a variety of substrates, relatively high chemical resistance to hydrocarbon fuels and alcohols, and good solubility in certain commonly used organic solvents, such as acetone, ethyl acetate, and THF. However, the current synthetic poly(2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene) has relatively low molecular weights. Certain physical properties of poly(2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene), such as thermal stability, hardness, anti-scratch, and brittleness, are adversely affected by the low molecular weight of the polymer.
There remains a need for improved methods of synthesizing poly(2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene). The present invention addresses this need.